Just a black med student balancing life, school, manga, and anime

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So the countdown to med school continues. It seems like every time I finish one of the requirements necessary for school, I get another email telling me another like 5 things that I need to have done before classes start. UGH. I think the highlight of the past few days, though, was when my school sent out the required book list for the upcoming semester.

HOLY. SHIT.

One look at that list and just…..

15 books. 15 large, expensive, books filled with all kinds of interesting facts from cover-to-cover. Just looking at the class list and the corresponding books for each one, I can already tell the first day of med school is going to hit me like a missile.

Strangely, though, I’m kind of anticipating it! I mean, this is what I’ve been working towards for all these years, ya know. BRING. IT. ON.

But before I make it to that point, let’s get back to finishing up all of my pre-matriculation requirements. When you’re a kid, you never realize how many things your parents did until you grow up. One of those things is scheduling doctor’s appointments. A soon-to-be med student complaining about scheduling a doctor’s appointment. Imagine that? HA! Anyways, I believe in always getting the hardest things in life out of the way first….which in that case, meant scheduling my dentist’s appointment first. I have nothing against dentists. It’s just that they’re REALLY thorough with their teeth cleaning jobs. All that poking and prodding around your gums with those sharp tools. It’s rather unpleasant. Also, since everyone avoids the dentist, I was able to schedule an appointment the same day I called. I’m one of those people who actually brushes and flosses twice daily, so I was relieved when they told me my teeth were in good shape. Thank God. I feel really bad for the kid getting his teeth drilled in the room next to me though. Yikes! Good dental hygiene for the win!

So I’ve been reading a bunch of blogs by older med students, and most of them have lists of essentials that they think all med students should have. All of the stuff they suggest seems really helpful, but it’s just that between paying for food (I eat a ton), rent, books, and other stuff, I’m not really sure where all these funds will come from. Student loans only go so far. Budgeting this all out is already making my head hurt. UGH.

I’m sure I’ll have everything I need in time for classes. I always do. But before I finish up, I have a very important public service announcement…….

Anime Recommendation of the Day – Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions – A coming-of-age anime that speaks to the imaginative inner child within us. A lot of us are embarrassed of the stuff we used to imagine as a child and do our best to forget those periods of our life. This anime shows that not everyone lets that part of their persona fall to the wayside. I may or may not have shed a tear at the end.

Manga Recommendation of the Day – Hayate the Combat Butler – One of my all-time favorite series. It’s the ridiculously hilarious story of the unluckiest boy on earth somehow becoming the butler for a spoiled heiress. Between the plot, one-liners, references to other manga/anime, and just overall awesomeness, I highly recommend this masterpiece. If you have the time, check out the anime version too.

Anime Song of the Day – Out of Control by Nothing’s Carved in Stone – One of the very rare English anime songs you’ll come across. I’m a sucker for a killer chorus and a sick guitar solo, and this song has both. If I had to give the song meaning, I’d say it’s about trying to sort out all of your inner madness and coming out on the other side still sane. Great song to listen to while cruising down the highway.

Let’s go back a couple weeks. It’s the beginning of June. I just graduated with my Master’s degree. I applied to 10 med schools last cycle, and all I have to show for it is ONE waitlist spot. ONE!! The AACOMAS app for the new cycle opened up in May, so I’m already a month behind. Time to panic, right?…

NOPE! I pack my car, drive back home to Boston (from Georgia, mind you), and get started for Med School Applications: Round 2. By now I’m a certified professional. I spice up my personal statement a bit, send in my new transcripts, add a few new extra-curricular activities, and send in my new app all within a day. In addition, I’ve applied to every scribe and clinical research assistant position in Boston (not joking) so I can show these schools that I still very much want to go into medicine. I hear back from one scribe job in no time at all, and have an interview lined up for Tuesday, June 28. I’m thinking, I’ll be here in Boston till like next February/March and, hopefully, this time have an acceptance or two under my belt.

Monday, June 27. I walk to the mailbox. Sitting amongst the ads and junk mail is a letter from one of the med schools that waitlisted me. I glance at it thinking that they probably got tired of keeping me on the waitlist and finally sent me a rejection letter. I tear it open and start to read, “We are pleased to inform you that your application has been acted upon favorably. On behalf of the faculty, we congratulate you on your acceptance.”

……….Wait………..

And just like that, all the plans I laid out get tossed to the side, and I find myself 5 weeks out from being a medical student. After about 3 days of disbelief and rereading that acceptance letter every 15 minutes just to confirm that it was, indeed, real, I realized that I have A LOT to do before orientation on August 8. FAFSA, immunizations, apartment hunting. The list goes on. To top it all off, I had to pay the deposit to hold my seat out-of-pocket, so now I’m virtually broke. And as far as I know, nobody hires anybody for a month. Uuuuuuuggggghhhhh. If I wasn’t freaking out before, I’m freaking out now.

Will I get everything done in time? Will I find a way to make some money before I drive back down to Georgia? I’m gonna cut it close, but I think I’ll be all set. Stay tuned. This journey is just getting started.

Anime Recommendation of the Day – Food Wars/Shokugeki no Soma – One of my favorite new shows (love the manga too). I’m not exaggerating when I say that this show will seriously have you considering pursuing a career as a chef. If you love food and a fun, fast-paced story, definitely check it out.

Manga Recommendation of the Day – Love Hina – A manga classic about a guy who tries and fails again and again to get into his dream university. As a pre-med going through that nightmare of an application cycle, this story resonated so hard with me it’s actually ridiculous haha. For any premed who needs a good laugh, I certainly recommend this series.

Anime Song of the Day – Flyers by BRADIO – Your typical Japanenglish song where half the lyrics are in Japanese and the other half are English. This is a fun, upbeat song about enjoying life to the fullest and doing your best to shine in any situation. Words to live by as a med student I’m sure. I’ll find out for sure in a couple of weeks. Worth a listen.